Beijing is determined to turn its bilateral relations with Belgium into a "model" for its dealings with other European countries, a senior Chinese diplomat has said.

Premier Wen Jiabao is planning to work toward this goal during his visit to Belgium on Thursday, the third visit of his 10-year premiership, said China's Ambassador to Belgium Liao Liqiang.

"The visit, the third during Wen's premiership, will lay a solid foundation for bilateral relations in coming decades and consolidate our relations into a pacemaker of China-EU ties," said Liao, who highly rates Belgium's importance on China's diplomatic chessboard.